Tool for applying lashing wire to bundled conductor wires



p 1965 N. H. GREENE, JR., ETAL 3,208,727

TOOL FOR APPLYING LASHING WIRE TO BUNDLED CONDUCTOR WIRES Filed July 29, 1965 INVENTORS AEQMBALDT. FLouJEQ & Nucuoms H G QEEMEA:

ATTORNEY United States Patent TOOL FOR APPLYING LASHING WIRE TO BUNDLED CONDUCTOR WIRES Nicholas Herlsimer Greene, Jr., 121 Plymouth Road,

Springfield, Pa., and Archibald T. Flower, 2637 Church Road, Glenside, Pa.

Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,368

8 Claims. (CL 254134.3)

This invention relates to a tool for bundling and lashing a series of electric conductor wires together.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device for applying a lashing wire to a messenger and conductor wires as the messenger and conductor wires are drawn through a casing having an inlet opening in one end and an outlet opening in its opposite end, said casing holding a coil of lashing wire surrounding the wires with its free end attached to the wires and having compression means surrounding the lashing wire and conductor wires inwardly of the outlet opening for holding the lashing wire and conductor wires in compact relation as they leave the casing and means in the inlet opening for orienting the messenger and conductor wries into proper relation as they enter the casing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designated like parts throughout the same,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tool,

FIG. 2 is an end view of the tool taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 33 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a perpspective view with some of the parts in separate relation, and,

FIG. 5 is an end view of a modified form of the guide tube.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 denotes a cylindrical metal casing having end walls 6 and 7, the end wall 6 being fixed to the casing and the wall 7 being removably attached to the casing by bolts 8 removably mounted in slotted lugs 8' formed on the wall and casing. The wall 6 is provided with a central opening 9 to receive the inner end of a guide tube 10 which projects from the wall with its outer end flared to form a convex inner wall 11. A series of longitudinal ribs or webs 12 are formed integral with the inner wall of the guide tube which are arranged in spaced apart relation with their inner edges joined together, as at 12', forming a plurality of passages to receive the individual wires to be bundled. As shown in FIG. 2 the tube is provided with three ribs but as shown in FIG. 5 the tube is provided with four ribs. The tube is detachably connected to the end wall by bolts 13, permitting either the tube shown in FIG. 2 or the tube shown in FIG. 5 to be used depending on the number of wires to be bundled.

The end wall 7 is provided with a central discharge tube 14 projecting outwardly therefrom which is of larger diameter than the bundled wires but if desired the tube may be eliminated and the end wall merely provided with a central aperture. Attached to the inner face of wall 7 is a rubber braking washer or disk 15 which is secured to the wall by bolts 16. The washer 15 may be formed of one or a plurality of disks having a central aperture 17 of smaller diameter than the diameter of the bundled wires. Coils of lashing wire 18 are disposed within the casing 5 in surrounding relation to the bundled messenger 19 and conductors 20, with the free end of the lashing wire coiled around the bundled wires and extending through the aperture 17 of the washer and the discharge 3,208,727 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 tube 14. The free end of the lashing wire is fixedly anchored to the messenger by a suitable clamp 21. The side wall of casing 5 is provided with a longitudinal slot 22 and the end wall 6 with an opening 22 so that the coils of lashing wire may be viewed to determine when the supply needs replacement. A pair of opposed apertured lugs 23 project from the end wall 6 for freely suspending the casing from a pole truck or trailer.

In use, the messenger and conductor wires to be bundled are passed axially through casing 5 being introduced through the guide tube 10 which maintains the wires in proper relation to each other. The end wall 7 is removed from the casing before passing the bundled wires through the casing and is then fitted over the free ends of the bundled wires and attached to the casing. The free end of the lashing wire 18 is wound around the bundled wires and fixedly attached to the messenger before the end wall 7 is attached to the casing. Since the aperture 17 of washer 15 is of smaller diameter than the diameter of the bundled wires the peripheral edge of the aperture will be flexed outwardly into the tube 14 thereby compressing the lashing Wire and bundled wires into compact relation. After mounting the casing on the wires to be bundled the casing is freely suspended from a pole truck or trailer by means attached to the lugs 23 and the wires are pulled through the casing or the casing can be pulled along the wires :by the truck or trailer thereby causing the lashing wire to be spirally wound around the bundled wires. By reason of the compressive force of the washer '15 on the lashing wire and bundled wires 21 more compact bundling of the wires is obtained.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herein shown and described is a preferred example of the same and changes in the shape, size and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing through which the bundled wires move, said casing having a discharge end wall, a coil of lashing wire within said casing surrounding the bundled wires having its free end attached to said bundled wires, and compression means within said casing inwardly of said wall for compressing the lashing wire and bundled wires together in compact relation before the bundled wires leave the casing.

2. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing through which the bundled wires move said casing having a discharge end wall, a coil of lashing wire within said casing surrounding the bundled wires, having its free end attached to said bundled wires, a guide tube at one end of said casing for orienting the conductor wires into bundled relation and compression means within the casing inwardly of said wall for compressing the lashing wire and bundled wires together in compact relation before the bundled wires leave the casing.

3. A tool as described in claim 2, wherein said guide tube is provided with internal longitudinal ribs disposed in spaced apart relation circumferentially of the tube for orienting the conductors in proper relation.

4. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing containing a coil of lashing wire having an inlet opening and an end wall provided with an outlet opening for passage of the conductor wires through the casing and axially of the coil of lashing wire, guide means in the inlet opening for orienting the wires into proper relation before entering the casing and compression means surrounding the outlet opening within said casing inwardly of said end wall for holding the lashing wire and conductor wires in compact relation as the bundled wires leave said casing.

5. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing having axially alined openings in its ends for passage of a series of conductor wires through the casing, a flared guide tube mounted in one opening of said casing having internal longitudinal ribs disposed in spaced apart relation for orienting the conductor wires as they enter the casing, a coil of lashing wire surrounding the conductor wires within said casing having its free end attached to said conductor wires, and a resilient washer surrounding the conductors and lashing wire within said casing :for compressing the lashing wire and conductor wires together as the bundled wires move through said casing.

6. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing having an inlet opening and an end wall provided with an outlet opening for passage of a series of conductor wires through the casing, means attached to the inlet opening of said casing for orienting the conductor wires into compact relation before entering the casing, a coil of lashing wire surrounding the bundled wires within said casing having its free end attached to said bundled Wires whereby the lashing wire is spirally wound around said bundled wires as the wires are drawn through the casing, and yieldable means surrounding the bundled wires within said casing adjacent the outlet opening inwardly of said end wall in firm contact with the lashing wire and bundled wires whereby the wires are firmly compacted together before leaving the casing.

7. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing having axially alined openings in its ends for passage of a series of conductor wires through the casing, a flared guide tube having a tapered bore, the smaller end of said tube being mounted in one opening of said casing and having internal longitudinal ribs disposed in circumferentially spaced relation with their inner edges joined together axially of the tube providing a series of passages :for orienting the conductor wires into compact relation as they pass through the tube and enter the casing, and a coil of lashing wire surrounding the conductor wires within said casing having its free end attached to said conductor Wires whereby the lashing wire, is spirally wound around said conductor wires as the wires are drawn through said casing.

8. A tool for bundling conductor wires and applying a lashing wire to the bundled wires comprising a casing having axially alined openings in its ends for passage of a series of conductor wires through the casing, an outwardly flared guide tube mounted in one opening of said casing, the bore of said tube tapering towards its inner end and being angular shape in cross section, a series of internal longitudinal ribs formed integral with the inner wall of said tube in circumferentially spaced relation having their inner edges joined together axially of the tube to divide the bore of the tube into a series of passages for orienting the conductor wires into compact relation as they pass through the tube and enter the casing, and a coil of lashing wire surrounding the conductor wires within said casing having its free end attached to said conductor wires whereby the lashing wire is spirally wound around said Wires as the wires are drawn through said casing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,157,500 10/15 Brackerbohn 57-10 1,988,950 1/35 Knoderer et al. 57l8 2,703,218 3/ Haskell et al. 2,822,146 2/58 Ridgers et al.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. A TOOL FOR BUNDLING CONDUCTOR WIRES AND APPLYING A LASHING WIRE TO THE BUNDLED WIRES COMPRISING A CASING THROUGH WHICH THE BUNDLED WIRES MOVE, SAID CASING HAVING A DISCHARGE END WALL, A COIL OF LASHING WIRE WITHIN SAID CASING SURROUNDING THE BUNDLED WIRES HAVING ITS FREE END ATTACHED TO SAID BUNDLED WIRES, AND COMPRESSION MEANS WITHIN SAID CASING INWARDLY OF SAID WALL FOR COMPRESSING THE LASHING WIRE AND BUNDLED WIRES TOGETHER IN COMPACT RELATION BEFORE THE BUNDLED WIRES LEAVE THE CASING. 